Full-text search Fulltext search 61 Resultate Researchers develop trunk robot Inspired by elephant trunks, researchers at EPFL have developed a new robot. Because the trunk robot is made of soft, pliable material, it is safe for interaction with humans. Switching drugs on and off with light Swiss researchers have filmed for the first time how a drug was activated in the body with light. This film could give the development of such drugs a decisive boost. “Music makes me a better scientist” Nobody knows the Ebola virus better than Pardis Sabeti. Viral pandemics are her special area of interest. And now, this genetic researcher is looking for a way out of the Covid crisis. Rock music helps her in that. Drinking water from fog: researchers capture clean water from polluted air A specially coated metal mesh can extract water from fog and remove environmental pollutants at the same time. With the technology developed in Zurich, drinking water can be extracted from the air even in regions with heavy air pollution. Smart ropes A new coating for ropes can save lives: Ropes with this coating change color when they have been exposed to excessive heat and might break. Bettina Bhend I have always been interested in the natural sciences and technology. But since I am poor at math, I became a historian and journalist. I am fascinated by everything associated with being on the move: new mobility concepts, the logistics of the future, social acceleration processes, or digital nomads. And long train rides with a big stack of books. Scrubbers with an artificial brain Artificial Intelligence makes robots mobile and autonomous. This is of particular interest for the manufacturers of cleaning equipment and their clients: Several 10.000 cleaning robots are currently deployed – and because of Corona, the number of smart cleaning machines is growing. An end to flight shame Will we ever be able to fly with a clean conscience again? The good news: Technologies for zero-carbon aviation are already available today. The bad: It will take years to bring them to market. Self-optimizers or a benefit to society? Biohackers are capable of far more than making rabbits glow: Do-it-yourself biologists are making valuable contributions towards COVID-19 research while also creating works of art using bacterial cultures. Sometimes, however, their interest is purely self-serving. Researchers create record-breaking flexible solar cell Never before have flexible solar cells been so efficient: A team from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) has created a flexible thin-film solar cell with a record-breaking efficiency of 20.8 percent.
